According to a new leak, Whatsapp is working on enabling cross-border payments through its in-app Unified Payments Interface (UPI). WhatsApp Payments or WhatsApp Pay was first launched in November 2020 as an in-app service for Indian users. The platform’s entry into the payments industry was considered late, as competing platforms were already established at that time. The popular messaging platform is now looking to add cross-border payments for up to three months to expand its financial service’s user base.

The feature was shared by tipster @AssembleDebug, who posted on X (formerly known as Twitter): “International WhatsApp payment via UPI for Indian users.” But maybe WhatsApp is working on it as Google can’t find anything about it. The tipster also shared screenshots of this feature, but didn’t say which beta version it was added to.

The screenshot shows a new option under Forgot Upi Pin in the Payments menu. Please note that this feature is called “International Charges” and clicking on it will open a separate screen where users can select the start and end date of the service and activate it. Based on the screenshot, users will have to enter their UPI PIN to activate the feature.

The International Payments service allows users with Indian bank accounts to select international merchants and send money to complete transactions. This feature only works in countries where banks have enabled international UPI services. In India, international payments through UPI expire automatically and require manual reactivation. According to the informant, in the case of WhatsApp, this period can be three months. In contrast, Google Pay offers a seven-day transaction period. Notably, Google Pay, PhonePe and some other major players in the UPI space already offer this service.